On the Korean Peninsula in 1950, a historical upheaval against the backdrop of strength and faith was quietly unfolding. This year, the People's Republic of China (PRC) faced unprecedented challenges and demonstrated its unwavering national will and military might. It was during this period of history that the heroic actions of the Chinese People's Volunteers not only won respect for the country, but also reshaped the international community's perception of New China.
In the early days of the Korean War, in the face of the threat and advance of the United Nations forces led by the United States, there were various suspicions and distrust in the international community towards the newly established People's Republic of China. The Soviet Union and other countries in the socialist camp also had reservations about whether China would send troops to support North Korea. At this time, the remarks of Douglas MacArthur, commander of the US Far East Command, pushed the tense atmosphere to a climax. He openly threatened: "If China dares to send troops, I will return China to the Stone Age and make the Yalu River bleed." This remark caused a huge shock in the international community at the time, and Western countries even regarded China's protests as a joke.
However, on September 15, 1950, the situation of the Korean War took a dramatic turn. The United Nations forces under MacArthur's command carried out a large-scale landing operation at Incheon, successfully cutting the offensive line of the Korean People's Army under the leadership of Kim Il Sung, leaving it in serious trouble. The Korean People's Army was defeated and demoralized all the way until October 19, when the Chinese People's Volunteers crossed the border and entered the Korean battlefield, a move that injected new vitality into the Korean war situation.
On October 25, 250,000 Chinese volunteer soldiers led by General Peng Dehuai launched the first large-scale frontal battle against the US forces on the western front of Korea, successfully pushing back the previously fierce United Nations forces to the south of the Imjin River, effectively curbing the northward advance of the United Nations forces.
Shortly thereafter, on October 25 and 27, the Chinese People's Volunteers launched a second large-scale offensive on both the eastern and western fronts, in which in the Battle of Changjin Lake, the Chinese army demonstrated extraordinary combat effectiveness and high tactical wisdom, successfully besieging the US 7th Division and the 1st Marine Division, known as the "trump card", in the so-called "pocket position". The victory in this battle is not only a great demonstration of the capabilities of the Chinese army, but also allows the world to see the extraordinary strength of the Chinese army.
The success of these battles, especially the glory of the Battle of Changjin Lake, completely broke the old Western view of the capabilities of the Chinese army and became an important turning point for the new Chinese army. Even Stalin, who was far away in Moscow, had to reassess the strength of the Chinese army. And MacArthur, the American general who was once arrogant to the Chinese army, had to admit in his report to Washington that he was fighting an unusually powerful army.
At the beginning of 1951, with the launch of the third campaign, the Chinese People's Volunteers not only successfully captured Seoul, the capital of South Korea, but also penetrated into the rear of the United Nations Army in the 37th Parallel. This series of military operations not only demonstrated the combat effectiveness of the Chinese army, but also shocked the international community.
Until June 1951, after the frantic counterattack of the United Nations forces, the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean People's Army still firmly controlled the 38th parallel, which marked the return of the war to the military status quo before the civil war between the two sides. For the UN forces, all the advantages previously achieved have been lost. This result is undoubtedly a heavy blow to those overconfident international powers.
By this time, the commander of the United Nations forces, the five-star general who called himself a "veteran," had left the Far Eastern battlefield and returned to the United States. His arrogance and conceit eventually brought him an indelible humiliation. This once high-ranking general had to face a cruel reality: in the face of spiritual will, no matter how powerful the material force is, it is insignificant.
Robs Frank, the chief researcher of the American "Anskayton Laboratory", commented: "Although the CCP troops on the battlefield in North Korea are inferior to the United States coalition forces in terms of military equipment, they are unimaginably high in terms of fighting spirit and courage. This appraisal is undoubtedly the highest praise for the spiritual outlook of the Chinese military.
Mao Zedong had a deep understanding of this war: "They have more steel and less gas, and we have more gas and less steel." We Chinese people are used to fighting, and our wish is not to fight, but if you must fight, we have to let you fight. You hit yours, I hit mine, you hit the atomic bomb, I hit the grenade, seize your weak point, follow you to fight, and finally defeat you. These remarks not only show the strong will of the Chinese people, but also have a profound insight into the nature of war.
The final outcome of the war shocked the entire Western community. They could not understand why the United Nations Army, which had absolute air and sea supremacy and absolute superiority in military equipment, would lose to the poorly equipped Chinese People's Volunteers. This result is not only a challenge to material power, but also an affirmation of spiritual power.
Japan, as a neighbor across the sea from China, is particularly concerned about this performance of the Chinese military. They have brought profound disasters to China in recent history, and their understanding of the Chinese military is also based on long-term war experience. However, the Chinese People's Volunteers on the Korean battlefield, with their indomitable fighting spirit and outstanding tactical wisdom, completely subverted the expectations of the Japanese.
Western countries, especially the United Kingdom and the United States, have expressed great surprise and concern at China's military involvement. Their original belief that "China must lose" was soon seriously challenged in the second campaign. The Battle of Changjin Lake became a turning point, and the 1st Marine Division, the ace of the US Army, was surrounded by Chinese People's Volunteers, and the outcome of this battle shocked Britain and other Western countries.
British Field Marshal Montgomery commented: "The Chinese Volunteers relied on mule-horse troops to defeat the mechanized units of the American army, which is unprecedented in the history of human warfare." "This victory not only demonstrates the combat effectiveness and high morale of the Chinese army, but also breaks the inherent prejudice of Western countries against China's military capabilities.
At this point, the British government began to strongly urge US President Dwight D. Eisenhower to end the war on the Korean Peninsula as soon as possible and refocus its limited military resources in Europe to deal with the Soviet threat. Dr. Robert O'Neill, a strategist at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, pointed out in his book The Battle of Qingchang: "China has emerged from this victory as a world power not to be underestimated. ”
At the beginning of the Korean War, the public opinion in the United States was like artillery fire on the battlefield, and the overwhelming media reports were full of praise for "democracy" and "freedom," and at the same time spared no effort to demonstrate the advanced nature of its military technology. However, as the war continued, the strategic objectives of the US military on the Korean Peninsula were never realized, and they failed to fully occupy the Korean Peninsula, and they were repeatedly defeated and retreated on the battlefield, which was in stark contrast to the rhetoric before the war.
In particular, the commander of the US army, Douglas MacArthur, was extremely dissatisfied with his defeat on the battlefield, and even repeatedly proposed the use of the atomic bomb on the Korean battlefield. He tried to replicate the nuclear strike on Japan in World War II, completely overwhelming his opponent with the technological superiority of the American military. However, this almost crazy suggestion was not only not adopted, but on the contrary, it exposed the predicament and powerlessness of the US military on the battlefield. Eventually, this led to President Truman's dismissal of MacArthur and his recall to the United States, a decision that caused a huge stir internationally.
When news of the armistice reached the United States, this momentous event, which should have been front-page news, was met with cold reception in the American media. Most media outlets have chosen to remain silent, or have been hastened in hidden corners of newspapers without the attention they deserve.
The Washington Post published this message in an inconspicuous place in its newspaper: "Washington faced all this with a cold attitude, accepting the fact of the armistice. The whole city was unusually calm and there was no celebratory atmosphere. And the New York Times, referring to the war, only briefly recorded: "The United States has experienced two wars in Korea, one a victory against North Korea and the other a defeat in the face of China." ”
This media performance not only reflects the complex mentality of American society about the end of the Korean War, but also reflects a domestic reluctance to face up to the success or failure of the war. The American people have both expectations and worries about the war in East Asia, which will not ultimately lead to the expected total victory, but will make Americans re-examine their own power and role in the international arena.
The U.S. military community was reluctant and helpless about the outcome of the war, but for the U.S. soldiers fighting on the front lines in Korea, the end of the war meant they could go home, even though many were confused as to why they were fighting bloody battles in this faraway land. American scholar Joseph Gurdon wrote in his book The Korean War: The Undisclosed Inside Story: "The Korean War was the first war in the history of the United States without a triumphant return, and many Americans want to erase this history from memory." ”
The victory of the Chinese People's Volunteers caused a huge repercussion in the Eastern camp. Stalin believed that China would play an irreplaceable and important role on the world stage. After the war, the Soviet Union provided a lot of assistance to China, and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam repeatedly requested military support from China. The leaders of these countries showed deep respect and admiration for Mao Zedong.
The War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was not only a defense of national sovereignty and dignity for China, but also a sign of farewell to the humiliating past. Since the First Opium War, China has suffered from bullying and aggression by Western powers, and the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea marks that China has completely shaken off the label of "the sick man of East Asia" and has stood on the world stage with a completely new attitude.
Although some people try to question China's sacrifice and efforts in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and want to deny China's efforts for peace, historical facts have proved that the contribution made by the Chinese People's Volunteers to defending national sovereignty and regional peace is undeniable. China's war is not only a powerful response to external threats, but also a great boost to the country's self-confidence and pride.